Electrolytic apparatus.



A. l. MAcDOUGALL & G. N. MIDDLETON.

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A. J. MACUOUGALL G, N MIDULETON.

ELECTRULYTIC APPARATUS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARCHIBALD JAMES MAUDOUGALL AND GUY NOVERRE MIDDLETON, 0F TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNQRS TO THE TORONTO POWER COMPANY, LIMITED. OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, A CORPORATION 0F ONTARIO.

ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

Application filed July 5` 1917A To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, ARCHiBALD JAMES tIAcImuoALn and GUY NovExmE MIDDLnroN, both subjects ot' the King of Great Britain, residing at the city of Toronto,in the county of York and Province of Ontario, Dominion ot Canada, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Electrolytic Apparatus; and we hereby declare that the fol-v lowing is a full, clear, and exact description ot the same.

This invention relates to an electrolytic apparatus, containing certain novel features of construction which contribute to its electrolytic etliciency; (c) by continually changing the electrolyte in the zone of action and thereby maintaining a constant supply of fresh electrolyte at the active electrode surfaces; (b) by causing a continual movement of the electrolytlc products from the zone ot' action and thereby preventing a stagnant condition of the gaseous and liquid products, and an accumulation of solid products, at the active electrode surfaces; (c) by keeping the zone of action free from an accumulation of gaseous products and thereby preventing an appreciable increase of resistance in the electrolyte path ot' the' current' from one electrode to the other: (d) by returning the electrolyte during itsv cycle of action through separating tanks interposed in its circulation between the oftakes and the intakes, and providing heat eX- changers to maintain a desired temperature of the electrolyte and thereby accelerate 'the electrolytic reaction; and (e) by providing insulated ofi'takes of appropriate cross-sectional area and length to permit of a sutlicient accumulation of gases in the elec trolyte therein to oil'er an eiectivc resistaneil to the flow of the current through the electrolyte and thereby reduce the shunt current v,losses to '.1 negligible quantity.

In the drawiugs:--

Figure 1, is an irregular side sectional elevation of the preferred type of op paratus;

Fig. 2, i an end sectional elvvationot'the appa r'afus shown in Fig-1: I

Fig 3A is n vertical srrlion and Fig; il". is a horizontal section. of a battery of cells Speoication of Letters Patent.

Patented i une l1` HHH.

Serial No` 178,616.

similar to those shown in Figs. l and L but on a larger scale;

Flg. 4, is a side sectional elevation ot a modified forni of the apparatus shonn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3;

Fig. 5, is an end sectional elevation of tlul apparatus shown in Fig. l; and,

Fig. 6 a fragmentary detail view of tln preferred type of electrode.

The apparatus. which may contain one cell, or any multiple number of cells, is shown in Figs. 1 to l inclusive, comprising a battery of six cells` numbered l to Vf inclusive, with a reacting couple suspended interjacent the walls f of each cell struc ture, each reacting couple consisting of two perforate or permeable electrodes a and o. with a diaphragm c between them. the construction of the electrodes and their arrangement in the cells being such as to permit of the free Circulation of the electrolyte and the electrolytic products lengthwise and transversely of the reacting couple.

In the preferred type, as shown in Fig. u, each electrode is composed of t\vo suitablyspaced distributer bars o, o. and u multiplicity of reacting structures assembled on the distributor bars. These reactionl` structures constitute tlnx current coinlurting r paths, and take the forni ot' condurtinry strips projecting into and through thc clertrolyte` contained by the reacting couple, to slierten the electrolyte path of the curr :n from our electrode to the otiher, with spacjngs c between the reacting structures c to provithx lengthwise and transverse patin through the electrode for the circulation of the electrolyte and the electrolytic productsl lengthwise and transversely of the reacting couple.

A convenientmeans for suspending the reacting couple within the cell, as shown in Figs. 1, i2 und 3, is to provide the electrode a with arms d and the electrode b with similar arms c, bolted, riveted, Welded, or otherwise secured to the electrode and tothe ,n alls of the cell structure, these arms hold- 'he electrodes rlgldly 1n their fixed renu,y lation to each other to constitute thereactlng couple. and in their set position inter- ]acrnt the wallsof the cell structure to permit of the electrodes being surrounded by electrolyte.

This suspension, together' with the perforate or permeable character of the electrodes, provides for the free circulation of the clectrolyte lengthwise and transversely of the electrodes, this circulation contributing to the efficiency of the electrolytic reactlon: (a) by continuously changing the electrolyte in the zone of action, and thereby maintaining a constant supply of fresh electrolyte at the active electrode surfaces; (L) by causing a continual movement of the elec trolytic products from the zone of action, and thereby preventing a sta nant condition of gaseous and liquid pro( ucts and an accumulation of solid products at the active electrode surfaces; and (c) by keeping the zone of action free from an accumulation of gaseous products, and thereby preventing any appreciable increase of resistance in the electrol te path of the current from one electro e to the other.

The walls f of the cell structure are pref-- erably of lthe filterpress type, and each diaphragm c, when the Walls of its respective cell structure are assembled, is clamped between them to separate the cell into two compartments y, g', and to insulate these compartments one from the other, the electrode a being contained in the compartment g and the electrode b being contained in the com artment g.

I the walls of the cell structure are of conducting material, the current may circuit, by means of the walls and the arms and electrode couples, but if the Walls of the cell structure are of non-conducting material, the bolts or rivets h, h securing the arms of the terminal electrodes to the exterior Walls of the terminal cells 1 and 6, may be extended beyond the Walls f, and electrical conductors t', z" may be connected to them, the arms of the intermediate elec# trodes being electrically connected by bolts It, as shown in Fig. 3.

In either case, the current circuits, by means of the arms d of the terminal electrode a in cell` l, its reacting electrode b, and arms @,'to the arms d of the electrode couple in cell 2, and so on throughout the battery of cells to the arm e of the terminal electrode'b in cell 6.

At the top of each compartment g, g is an outlet j, y" for the electrolytic products and each of these outlets-j, j is provide with an insulated tube 7c, k, respectively, preferably glass. At the upper ends of the tubes k, la are manifolds Z, l connected by insulated tubes or couplings m, m', preferably glass, with the headers o, o. The outlet y', tube 7c, manifold Z, tube m, and header o, ma constitute the oiitake for the products `of t e anolytic action, and the outlet j', tube k', manifold Z', tube m and header c may constitute the oitake for the products of the calholytic action, these products being kept separate in the cell by the ires'encc oi' the diaphragm between the ano -c and the cathode, this diaphragm, in the preferred forni of apparatus, being ex tended beyond the reacting couple and clamped between the two parts of the cell structure.

By making the tubes lc, In and m, m of glass, the manifolds Z, Z and the headers o, o may be effectively insulated from the cell structure, and by making the tubes lc, lo and mf, m of a cross-section and length o suitable proportional ratio the evolved gases which accumulate in the upper part of the cell from the electrolytic decomposition will successively carry through the tubes` or offtake portions of the electrolyte. These successive altcrnations of gas and electrolyte prevent the formation of shunt circuits through the medium of the continuousl column thatwonld otherwise exist in the in terior ol' these olllakes, and by so disrupt ing the liquid column prevent the occur-- rence of `shunt current losses and the formation olu undesirable clcctrolytic products. The lifting effect of the gas columns due to their being of lesser mass than an equivalent volume of liquid causes an automatic circulation of the electrolyte from the cell throughthe ol'take tubes and through the headers 0 o to the separating tanks y, y and from thence through the return headers p p', and insulated intakes to the bottom of the cell, This automatic circulation is most essential as by means of it the deionization of the electrolyte is prevented in the anodic and cathodic chambers of the cell,

which would otherwise result, due to the :f

continuous passage of the electrolyzing cur rent', in the ohmic resistance of the elec.- trolytc being materially increased with `a consequent reduction in the eiliciency of the operation of the cell.

At the bottom of the cells are intake headers fp, p', connected by insulated tubes g, g', pre erably glass, with the compartments g, g', respectively, for the inlowaof elec trolytc to the cells, the purpose of the tubes 1], g being to insulate the cells from the headers p, p.

The outer Walls of the terminal cells 1 and G may be provided with apertured lugs r, throu h which pass insulated cou ling bolts s, tese bolts maintaining the assembly of the cells, and connected with the exterior walls of the terminal cells are casters t, t', of conducting metal, traveling on conducting rails u, a', which are insulated from ground by suitable insulators o, preferably asbestos and porcelain, tors w, w being connected to the rails u, a

the current conduc- 1,2eo,see

when the wall.: of tl* cell structures are of conducting material.

In the operation of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the current circuits, by means of the conductor fw, rail u, caster t, exterior wall of terminal cell 1, armsid, electrode a, electrode b, arms e,'to the interior wall of the cell 1, and arms d of the electrode a, of the reactin couple of cell 2, and so on throughout the attery, to the exterior wall of terminal cell 6, casters t', conducting rail u and conductor w. 4

During this circuit of the current, the elec trolyte is decomposed at the 'active surfaces of the reacting couple, this decomposition setting up a state of motion which causes the electrolyte and the electrolytic products to circulate freely in the zone of actior length wise and transversely of the reacting structures, the gaseous products ascending in their respective compartments g. g to the outlets j, j', throu h which they pass to the ,insulated tubes gc, k', manifolds Z, Z', tubes m, m and headers 0, o to the separatin tanks y, y in which the electrolyte, carri with the gases to the tanks y, y', is separated from the gases and returned through the return pipes w, w3 to the intake headers p, p', through wlncn it again feeds into the compartments g, g', the separating tanks being provided vith heat exchangers to increase or decrease the temperature of the electrolyte and thus restore it to the desired tenmerature at which the electrolytic action may be carried on with the greatest eiliciency.

In Figs. 4 and 5, the electrodes of the reacting couple may be similarly constructed to those used in the apparatus shown "in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and shown in detail in Fig. 6, but instead of suspending the reacting couple Within the cell structure by means of conducting arms, the distributer bars may be connected by appropriate bolts 10 directly to the Walls of the cell structures, the bolts being preferably such as to permit of the lateral adjustment of the electrodes to each other. or other appropriate means, Within the scope d the appended claims, may be provided for holding each reacting couple in a set position Within the cell to permit of the circulation of the electrolyte.

In Figs. 4 and 5, each cell is provided with two manifold sections 11 and 11a, the manifold sections of one cell corresponding in dimensions and location with those of the other cells, so that when the cells are assembled, these `sections will constitute continuous manifolds extending lengthwise of the group or battery of cells for the anolytic and catholytic products respectively, these manifolds being provided with insulated tubes 12, 1Q leading to headers 13, 13a, the insulated tubes being for the same purpose,

and similar in all respects to the insulated tubes lc, 7c.

While the same circulation of the electro lyte and the electrolytic products, and the advantages therefrom, is obtained by the construction shown in Figs. 4 and it may not be possible in this construction to re duce the shunt current losses to the same extent as in the case of the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

In the structure shown in Figs. 4 and 5, as in the structure shown in Fi s. 1, 2 and 3, that art of the electrolyte w ich is contained etween the electrodes of the reacting couple, may circulate transversely and lengthwise of the reacting structures, and maintain a constant supply of fresh electrolyte in the zone of action, the strength of which may be regulated by the electrolyte fed into the cells from the intake headers during the cycle of action.

Having thus fully described the nature of our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. An electrolytic apparatus comprising a cell, an electrode couple therein, an insulated ofltake Whose diameter bears such proportion to its length that the evolved gases during their ascent through said olftake convey with them portions of the electrolyte, gas separating means through which said evolved gases and portions of electrolyte are caused to circulate for their separation, and means for then returning the electrolyte to the cell.

2. An electrolytic apparatus comprising a cell, an electrode couple therein, an insulated otake whose diameter bears such proportion to its length that the evolved gases during their ascent through said offtake convey with them portions of the electrolyte, temperature regulated gas separat ing means through which said evolved gases and portions of electrolyte are caused to circulate for their separation, and means for then returning the electrolyte to the cell.

3. An electrolytic apparatus comprising a cell, an electrode couple therein, an insulated ofl'take Whose diameter bears such proportion to its length that the evolved.

that the electrolyte may circulate with ncgligible shunt-current losses, and an intake for the bottom of the cell to complete the cyclic movement of the electrolyte circulating through the oftake.

5. An electrolytic apparatus comprising a cell, an electrode couple therein, an insu- 5 lated ol'take for the cell Whose diameter bears such proportion to its length that the electrolyte may circulate with negligible shunt-current losses, an intake for the cell to complete the cyclic movement of the electrolyte, and means for regulating the 10 temperature of the electrolyte returned from the ofi'take to the cell Toronto, June 14th, 1917.

ARCHIBALD JAMES MAGDOUGALL. GUY NOVERRE MIDDLETON. Signed in the resence of- CEAS. H. lomas, WM. VOLKMANN. 

